Paul Robeson was an American treasure.
He had one of the most powerful and celebrated voices of his
generation.
Perhaps more importantly, he was one of the heroes of the civil
rights movement. As early as 1924 he was performing on stage
in Britain and the US in roles that were very unlike the stereotypes
normally promoted when he was cast as a black lawyer who marries
a white woman in All God’s Chillun Got Wings. He was
later cast as Othello to rave reviews in both the UK
and US.

His entire life was spent combating inequality
in one form or another. On his tombstone is his personal statement
that “The artist must elect to fight for Freedom or for Slavery.
I have made my choice. I had no alternative.” Thus this particular
compilation of music highlighting both Robeson’s strong voice
as well as his stronger convictions is extremely appropriately
themed. Much of this music is about political struggle. Other
pieces concern the simple struggle to continue life in the
face of tribulation. They all display a worldly strength and
the understanding of a man that clearly was familiar with these
emotions.

The performances are often quite minimal, using
only a piano and solo voice. This is highly appropriate to
these works, as this lends a highly personal atmosphere. Additionally
it brings solid focus to the incredible talent that Robeson
possessed. The symphony-accompanied performances are equally
strong from Robeson, but less strong musically. The orchestration
is unmistakably that of a radio orchestra from the 1940s. When
that sound is properly employed, it is a good sound. When it
is little more than a lush transcription of piano accompaniments,
there are many times that the piano would be preferred. The
lone exception here is Love At My Heart, which includes
a male chorus as well as the orchestra, reinforcing the arrangement
in a way unlike the majority of the other string works.

The recordings are quite well produced with minimal
tape hiss and no noticeable album noise. The fidelity is bright
and far better than many vintage recordings. Generally this
seems to be a project that the production team truly cared
about.

As the work is by a true master, and the pieces
are among the highlights of his career, this is a collection
that can be truly recommended.
Patrick Gary

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